“Conscious Living”

“Conscious Living” took on a totally new meaning for me today……..I needed to buy a birthday card, so I ran into a little gift shop that I go to occasionally.  I haven’t been there in probably 3 months.  I was standing at the cash register waiting to pay and one of the store clerks walked up to me and said, “aren’t you the woman I was talking to a few months ago that knew someone that was out of work for almost a year?”  I was shocked that she remembered me and the conversation we had 3 months ago.  To be perfectly honest, I had forgotten all about that conversation!  She said “Please, wait here a minute.  I have something for you!  It’s in my purse.  I’ll be right back.”  I couldn’t imagine what she could possibly have for me in her purse.  I’m thinking….this is crazy!

When the woman returned, she had a small piece of paper with a name, email address and phone # written on it.  As she handed me the information, she told me that she had been carrying this information around in her wallet in hopes that she would run into me again.  I couldn’t believe it!!  She told me that my story about my unemployed friend had made such a strong impact on her that it really touched her heart.  She said that she felt really bad for my friend and about her situation.  She continued to explain that she ran into one of her friends a few days after she spoke with me, and this friend had a son who became a Recruiter.  She said she asked for his contact information, in hopes that if she ever saw me again, she could pass the information on to me so that I could share it with my friend.  I was speechless!!  I just could not believe that she had been carrying this information around for 3 months, in hopes that she’d have another chance encounter with the same stranger that had previous told her a story that had greatly touched her heart!!  Talk about having an impact on someone!!  The whole scenario has just blown me away!!  I have been thinking about it all day…..it has made me reflect on so many things on so many levels!!

It made me realize the power of a simple conversation!  It made me think about the huge impact we can have on people’s lives through simple interaction with them…..just as we move through the motions of our typical day oblivious to what we do and say to people just in passing.  It reminded me of a book I read awhile ago by Mitch Albom, “The 5 People You Meet In Heaven”.  I remember, it was a great book and had a really surprising ending.  I haven’t thought about that book in a really long time and I remember now the impact it had made on me.  It’s so crazy how we go back to our busy lives and forget about things, important things…..unconsciously moving through our lives day in and day out.

Today, this woman totally renewed my belief in the human spirit.  Her gesture reminded me of the great capacity we all possess for kindness and generosity.  Unfortunately, we just don’t always use that capacity.  It proves that each of us has the power to make a huge difference in another person’s life, outside of our family and friends.  My simple conversation with a stranger touched something within her that made her want to help.  She then in turn, provided me with the gift of new awareness.  I then in turn, shared the information she shared with me with my friend, who just may find a job working with this new contact.  Everybody’s life was impacted in a positive way and it all started from a simple conversation.

Yup……“Conscious Living” really took on a totally new meaning for me today.  It’s not just about making conscious decisions about your own life choices.  It’s also about being conscious in what you say and do, and being aware of the positive or negative effects you can have on the lives you touch each and every day.  That’s powerful stuff….What a huge responsibility!!

Fear of Failure

FEARLESS!… How wonderful it would be to go through life fearlessly! It comes from out of nowhere quietly creeping to the surface physically and mentally paralyzing you from any forward movement. I don’t know about you, but I want to banish fear from my life as much as possible! It totally blocks me in pursuing my dreams. It stops me from being all that I can be!

On several occasions I have read that fear is ego based. Not until I gave this statement a lot of thought while reflecting back through my own life did I come to believe the truth in this. The coaching process has taught me to face my fears. In the past, I used to look at failure as something to be embarrassed about. Something that could humiliate me or make me feel silly, stupid or inadequate. You know, like a loser! At times I would talk myself out of trying to take steps towards a goal or dream by justifying my lack of action with lame excuses. Now I realize, bottom-line, it was just avoidance of dealing with the possibility that the end result I was seeking might not turn out PERFECT… my “Fear of Failure”! I used to let all the little negative voices in my head talk me out of what it was that I really wanted to try. I avoided the possibility of hearing “I told you so” from the many different naysayers in my life. So, I kept myself safe. I know better now. I understand that the real basis for not taking the action in these cases was all about EGO.
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Tips For Mapping Out Your 2014 Strategic Direction……….

For those of you that might have missed DeAnjo Coaching’s December 2013 newsletter, here is a summary of our tips for setting your 2014 New Year resolutions.

The process remains the same no matter whether you are setting career or life goals…….. You need to ask yourself the following questions…….

 – What needs improvement in my life and/or career?

– What will bring me joy and give me a sense of fulfillment?

– How can I create a better quality of life for myself?

– What steps do I need to take to get me to where I want to be on 12/31/14?

Remember that nobody can determine what is right for your life.  ONLY YOU have the answers to these questions.  So, slow down for a few minutes or even a couple of hours, quiet your mind and take the time to do some self-reflection.  Self-awareness and conscious decision making are key to setting and attaining goals.  Once you have spent time pondering the questions listed above and have come up with honest and insightful answers and ideas, then consider the following………

* Break down the steps to get you to where you want to go.  Avoid overwhelming yourself or creating goals that are too far out of reach.  Develop baby steps and short term objectives within your master plan.  When you attain a short term objective, you will feel a sense of accomplishment and become inspired to continue on your journey to achieve your ultimate goal.  You will empower yourself to see your master plan come to fruition!

* Make sure that you hold yourself accountable.  Your short term objectives must be measurable.  It is absolutely crucial that you set clear time parameters to complete each short term objective within your master plan.  For instance, if your strategic goal is to make a career transition in 2014, you must have daily, weekly and monthly measurable objectives in place to ensure that you are making progress towards reaching that ultimate goal.  Holding yourself accountable to these short term goals will keep you focused and moving forward.  Remember, no excuses are acceptable for not following through on your planned actions.  Make the time in your busy schedule to accomplish your short term objectives.  These are the actions that will get you to your ultimate goal.  Do this for YOU!

* Be ambitious when setting your goals, but be realistic.  You want to set your goals high, but your goals have to be realistically attainable.  Do not measure yourself against what others in your life may have achieved.  Your master plan is about YOU and nobody else.  Remember the questions you asked yourself  when you started the process? This process is about building YOUR best life and about bringing YOU joy and fulfillment.  Developing goals that are not fit to your lifestyle will only frustrate you and hinder your ability to attain those goals.  You will then ultimately give up completely.  Set your goals so that when you attain them, YOU WILL BE LIVING THE LIFE YOU DESIRE!

Good Luck in making 2014 your best year ever!!!